Hugo Chavez: hero or villain?

Famously, Pat Roberston called for the assassination of Hugo Chavez, el presidente of Venezuela, last year. At the time, he was branded a lunatic. I still think it was ridiculous for him to go on TV and call for the assassination of anyone. Robertson has mental problems. But was he wrong about Hugo Chavez, a man that Harry Belafonte consider a great man? Then again, Belafonte also said Bush was "the world's great terrorist," so consider the source. Let's examine the evidence, shall we? While I find Amnesty International is a joke over how it covers Israel, they at least did cover Venezuala under Chavez, and what they found is not pretty. Chavez was being investigated by the International Criminal Court. He was let off on a technicality. Documentation of suppression of free speech. There is rampant corruption in his regime. Chavez's unwillingness to utilize the private sector has resulted in a crumbling infrastructure in Venezuela. Chavez also backs Islamofascists. His government has a close relationship to Iran. (last two articles in Spanish, but you can get a web translator) In short, the man is not exactly a great guy. In time, it is possible that Chavez will have to be dealt with. Pat Robertson, while a lunatic, was not completely off the wall in naming Chavez as a threat. This gets lost, because Hugo Chavez is a hero of the far leftist groups, such as Cindy Sheehan. They love to close their eyes and ignore the reality of Chavez. "Ra ra ra, he hates Bush, so he MUST be great!" Sadly, the world is far more complicated than the far leftist groups want to acknowledge. It is possible for someone who hates Bush to also be independently bad - as hard as that is to fathom!